Page 13 of The Summer House

“And I’ve enjoyed being kept.” He rose and moved close. “Don’t go there,” he told her. “I’m a big boy and I made the decision to stay with you because I wanted to. I work about a sixty-hour week. I’ve more than earned an afternoon off.”

“But your meeting.”

“They’ll survive without me.”

She wasn’t completely convinced, but his work schedule wasn’t her problem. “If you work such long hours, when do you find time to practice your scuba diving?”

“I work hard, then I play hard. I’ve learned to focus on whatever the task is at hand and not worry about anything else.”

Intensity radiated from him. She thought about his focus when he’d kissed her. Yet another trait for the plus column.

“Do you need to get back for anything?” he asked.

“No.”

Somehow nothing else seemed very important just now.

“Then let’s take that tour,” he said, holding out his hand.

* * *

The house was amazing. High ceilings and large windows added a feeling of light and space to every room. Old, worn pavers covered the main floor. Rick rubbed at a tile with his bare foot.

“I should probably replace these,” he said. “But I like how the color has faded with time. You can see where people have walked before.”

They crossed into a formal dining room. “This table was originally built for the house. I bought it from the previous owners.”

The table in question was huge, made of thick planks of worn oak. It could easily seat fourteen. Two of the walls held arched glass doors that opened out into a walled garden. Mandy walked to the closest one and pushed it open. Instantly she was enchanted by the strong scent of honeysuckle. Vines trailed over the walls and down to the garden. Small benches offered seating area, and the same reddish pavers covered the whole garden.

“It’s wonderful,” she said, not daring to think how much this house must have cost. Not that Rick couldn’t afford it, but still he’d come a long way from their small one-bedroom apartment in Boston.

“If I ever decide to entertain, I thought it would be fun to set up a buffet inside, on the table, then have everyone eat out here.”

She nodded, already able to visualize how it would be. Twinkling lights in the trees, lit torches in the corners, the call of the night creatures, and the honeysuckle perfuming the air while the sound of the surf provided background music.

She turned back to him. “The house is worth it just for this alone.”

“I agree, but there’s more.”

He led the way into the remodeled kitchen. Stainless steel appliances gleamed against the granite countertop. There was an extradeep double sink, along with a separate vegetable sink at one end of the center island. A small table for four sat by the bay window opposite the entrance to the dining room.

“I eat in here,” he said, “when I bother to eat at home.”

She laughed. “Let me guess. Frozen dinners and cereal.”

He shrugged sheepishly. “Okay. I’ve learned how to install cabinets and refinish a wood floor, but I’m not big on cooking.”

They circled around to a large living room, then back to the entryway that was about the size of the first floor of her house. A fully stocked wine cellar had been tucked under the stairs.

“A new hobby,” Rick admitted. “I’m currently collecting a whole lot more than I’m drinking. That could become a problem.”

“Don’t wines keep?”

“Some.”

He started up the stairs.

Mandy followed, taking in the soaring ceilings, the elegant artwork, the hand-carved stair rail. The second-floor landing led to a large open family room, complete with enough television technology to stock an electronics store. Four remotes were lined up on the coffee table in front of a navy leather sofa.

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